11 Young German Players that Newcastle Should Scout – Part 1

You can argue that Bundesliga is one of the top leagues in Europe if not the best league in the world. That is in no small part due the quality of young players that are plying their trade in the league.

We have already seen the likes of Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Marco Reus make their mark on the world stage, and they are not the only ones who we are going to hear about in years to come. The country is bristling with young talent and are rightfully among the early favourites to win the World Cup in 2014.

Here is a list of 11 German players (a team) that are still learning the game, have tremendous potential and are going to be the envy of every football club and manager in years to come. The players in the team have been selected in the very modern 4-2-3-1 formation. Here we go:

Kevin Trapp – Kevin Trapp is a 22 year old goalkeeper who joined Eintracht Frankfurt from FC Kaiserslautern in 2012 after they were relegated. At Kaiserslautern (German Red Devils) trapp was coached by Gerald Ehrmann, who has also coached other German goalkeepers like Tim Wiese and Roman Widenfeller. Trapp is s a German youth international who has represented Germany at U18, U19 and U21 levels.

So far this season, Trapp has been outstanding for Frankfurt and is one of the key reasons why they are doing so well this season – they are challenging for Champions League qualification. Trapp has a good record at saving penalties too, having saved 5 of the 16 penalties that he has faced.

Sebastian Jung – Sebastian Jung is a 22 year old right back who also plays for Eintracht Frankfurt, for whom, he has been a regular since the 2009 season. He recently became the first Frankfurt player to be called into the German National team since 1999. Jung too has been a regular for the Germany under 21 squads and has 17 caps at that level.

His strengths include his passing and ablility to hold on to the ball in tight areas. Everyone at Frankfurt is excited about the progress Jung has made at the club and has been touted as a direct replacement for Philip Lahm in the Germany team.

Antonio Rudiger – Another one of those German youth internationals, Rudiger is what you would describe as a perfect utility player. Although a center back by trade, he can also play as a right back and a defensive midfielder. His current club VFB Stuttgart signed Rudiger from defending Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund in 2011, aged just 18.Since then he has represented Stuttgart first and second elevens. His strengths include passing the ball out of the back and not diving into reckless tackles.

Matthias Ginter – The 19 year old center back came through the academy of his current club SC Freiburg, where he played in a variety of positions including attacking midfield. Ginter won the Fritz Walter gold medal in U18 category last year (the medal is given by the German FA to their most exciting prospects). Ever since making his debut for the “Bresigau Brazilians” he has been a regular for the team. He has everything that a defender needs; he is good at passing, has good aerial ability and is a good tackler. Ginter is a future German International in the making.

Oliver Sorg – Oliver Sorg is 22 year old full back, who can play in either the right or the left full back positions. Sorg joined the SC Frieburg’s youth academy in 2006 and played for the Freiburg II for three years where he was also the captain. He has been a regular for the club over the last few seasons. Sorg is renowned for his composure on the ball, his tackling ability and his dribbling skills, though he needs to work on his aerial ability and crossing. Sorg though is a cracking prospect and one to look out for.

Sebastian Rode – Rode is a 22 year old central midfielder who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt, he has been described as one of the best talents to have come out of the club. Rode is what one would describe as a complete midfielder; he can pass, he can tackle, and is good in the air. He has been a regular youth international for Germany at all levels. Though he is still unknown outside of Germany, he is a sought-after prospect within Germanyhaving been linked with some of the biggest German clubs including Bayern Munich.

In this first part we have focused on the defensive players. In the concluding 2nd part we will focus on the attacking players.

Comments Welcome. Have any of you seen any of these players in action? Or can you recommend other young German defensive players?

2 Comments on 11 Young German Players that Newcastle Should Scout – Part 1

I live in Germany and my son plays football here at under 11 level. From the age of 6 to 11 kids in Germany play 7 a side on very small pitches which helps them develop close passing skills. The under 13s still only play 9 a side on a pitch marked out between the penalty areas and 10 m in from the side. Only at under 15 level do they get to play on a full size pitch, by which time they are all very good technical players. Matthias Sammer was head of youth development here until recently before he took up a role at Bayern München. The results of this system will first start to come through in a couple of years.